NEW RELEASES / JAZZ : In Brief

*** 1/2 Kitty Margolis, “Evolution,” Mad-Kat. From the label that gave us Madeline Eastman comes another underrated singer. She cooks in bop (“Anthropology”), is lyrical on ballads (“Where Do You Start?”), superbly gutty on blues (a quasi-hysterical “Please Send Me Someone to Love”). Joe Henderson guests on several tunes, among them Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” and Cedar Walton’s “Firm Roots,” for both of which Margolis supplied sensitive lyrics. As Jon Hendricks’ liner notes point out, Margolis possesses impeccable taste and selectivity. (Available from Mad-Kat Records, P.O. Box 420253, San Francisco, 94142).

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good, recommended), four stars (excellent).